Frank commentary from an unretired call girl

Ching Shih

To start with, Ching Shih (1775–1844) was only her stage name; it simply means “Widow of Zheng”. Her real name and her history prior to 1801 are completely unknown except for the fact that she was a prostitute in one of the famous floating brothels of Canton. She was captured in a raid by the powerful pirate Zheng Yi, commander of six pirate fleets, who appears to have known her professionally before the raid because his men were specifically instructed to bring the 26-year-old beauty to him. He had fallen deeply in love with her and proposed marriage, and she agreed on the condition that Zheng Yi grant her 50% of his profits and command of one of his fleets.

Artist’s conception of Ching Shih (origin unknown)

Ching I Sao (“Wife of Zheng”), as she was then known, quickly won the respect of her men and her husband drew upon her shrewd advice to increase his power; his family had been noted pirates since at least the mid-17th century and the cunning former whore advised him to use that reputation in combination with intimidation to build an alliance of pirate fleets which until that time had engaged in self-defeating competition. By 1804 this alliance, known as the Red Flag Fleet, was the most powerful pirate force in China; it was comprised of over 1500 ships and ranged all the way from Korea to Malaysia. In 1807 Zheng Yi was killed in a typhoon, and his widow (now called Ching Shih) quickly made a pact with Chang Pao, the late commander’s chief lieutenant, which placed her in absolute command of the fleet with him as her executive officer. The deal appears to have been leveraged by her sex appeal, because they became lovers and later married (though sources vary as to whether this was before or after her retirement).

Ching Shih realized that in order to maintain control she had to establish strict discipline lest the men believe that a female commander could be defied with impunity. She therefore imposed a code of behavior far more severe than the pirate “articles” common in the Spanish Main: disobedience, theft, desertion, dereliction of duty, cowardice and rape of female prisoners were all punishable by beheading. Her power grew at a frightening pace, and within a year the Red Flag Fleet boasted two hundred oceangoing junks of twenty guns each, eight hundred small ships, dozens of riverboats and over 17,000 men; it was one of the largest navies in the world and nothing could stand against it. She extorted tribute from merchants all over the China Seas and from coastal towns from Macau to Canton, and became a de facto government in her own right; soon she began to impose taxes and levies and enforced her own laws.

This sketch from 1836 imagines what Ching Shih might have looked like in battle.

Clearly, the Chinese government could not ignore this, so in 1808 it sent a fleet against Ching Shih; she easily defeated it, capturing 63 ships and impressing hundreds of sailors into her navy (those who remained loyal to the Emperor were beaten to death with clubs). Further attacks were equally unsuccessful, as were the attempts at rebellion by subject villages (which were burned to the ground and saw all their men slaughtered). In desperation, the Chinese government asked for help from the British and Portuguese; their forces, too, were defeated by the harlot admiral. By 1810 the government was forced to admit defeat and offered a general amnesty to all pirates who would give up their ships and arms. Ching Shih was no fool, and saw her opportunity to quit while she was ahead; accordingly, she appeared unannounced at the official home of the Governor-general of Canton and negotiated an incredible deal: she and all her men were given full amnesty and allowed to keep all of their loot, any of her men who wished to join the Imperial Navy would be allowed to do so, and Chang Pao received a lieutenant’s commission. Ching Shih thus retired from piracy at 35 and opened a combination casino and brothel which she operated until her death at the age of 69, survived by at least one son.

Ching Shih was quite probably the most successful pirate who ever lived; not only did she defeat all attempts to stop her and make staggering sums of money, but she also managed to keep all her profits and transition into a respectable business when she was still quite young. And considering that the half-share in the pirate fleet which set the stage for her eventual control of the whole was essentially a price for her favors, I think it’s fair to say she was among the most successful prostitutes of all time as well. She didn’t become an empress as Theodora did, but she essentially made herself a queen, foiled the efforts of the three greatest navies in the world and died a peaceful death as a wealthy, successful, respected businesswoman at a ripe old age.

Thanks, ladies; if you want to know just how much modern women owe their rights to whores (rather than feminists), you need to read Russell’s Renegade History of the United States and Nickie Roberts’ Whores In History (both reviewed on my bibliography page). Even the feminist movement itself owes whores for its existence; first-wave feminism began in earnest with Josephine Butler’s campaign for the rights of English prostitutes, and one of the first second-wave feminist organizations in the late ’60s was called “Whores, Housewives and Others” (WHO); the “others” were lesbians. Neofeminists of course want everyone to forget this, and never to learn about women like Ching Shih or the Greek hetaerae.

I’ve read barely anything on the history of feminism so am wondering: did any “wild women” (my name for women like me who choose at times to have sex only friendships, purposely break the evil dating game “rules”, etc.) have any part in feminism in the past?

In second-wave feminism, certainly. Due to the lack of opportunities for women’s income prior to the early twentieth century they didn’t really exist except among the upper classes; women below that level who felt as you do would’ve needed to charge to survive or else risk their securities by marital infidelity. Certainly there were advocates of “free love” in the Romantic period (late 18th-early 19th centuries) but that was more of an idealistic philosophical movement like in the 1960s and as in the ’60s didn’t last long.

Thanks for the information, Maggie. I’ve learned through reading that there’s been been a few wild women all through history. 1 of my favorites was the actress Clara Bow. She was hated by some in Hollywood because she didn’t hide her wildness. I also admire her because for a big part of her life she functioned great despite the horrible abuse she had up until her teen years.

as whore-storian (c) let me kick in that WHO (also known as WHOM, Whores, Housewives and Other Mother [fucker?]s) was organized by Margo St James a couple of years before she founded COYOTE in 1973.

don’t let HRC let you forget that sex workers also started the “gay” rights movement! Sylvia Rivera — who threw the brick that started the Stonewall Inn Riots was a sex worker – transgender and puerto rican too (and did a heckuva lot later for queer streets kids who did sex work to survive.)

and not trying to be picky but a small correction; it was josephine butler, not justine (although that would be ironic, since that’s the title of a novel by the marquis de sade).

Yikes! Thanks for pointing that out, Mindy; I’ll fix it now. What makes it a truly stupid mistake is that the name was right in front of me in my own damn column linked in that reply! My only excuse is that’s the sort of thing that happens when I post before breakfast. 😀

When I was a teen the girls would say “When I grow up I am going have a career, I’m going to be equal to you men”.

I would say “Are you stupid? My uncles are clerks, a butcher, a builder, a road worker, a cab driver, a driver for politicians and a shopkeeper. These are not careers. They are jobs. They are dull and boring jobs. Why would you want THAT? My mum has it WAY better than my dad. If you want equality with men you are going to come a long way down to get it.”

Of course, I would get ‘you are sexist’ in response. Ok grrrls. Knock yourself out.

The MOST successful women in my year became a doctor. But she lives in a small rurual town in western australia. She was my ‘first love’. We stayed in touch for 32 years. We have cried on each others shoulders many times in our life. She envied me my ‘career’ and my travel somewhat. Being a doctor you can not move overseas very easily…especially if your husband is also a doctor which he is.

When we would talk about my ‘brilliant career’ and how Jennifer got to not work and travel so much I occasionally reminded her that SHE was my FIRST choice and she could have been my wife just for the nodding. She turned down my offers. Jennifer was her best friend!!! Indeed they passed themselves off as sisters many times over.. LOL!

Recently I had an indian woman start work next to me. We had to work very closely. She told me about her ‘brilliant career’ over and over again. One day I got a little tired of it and I turned to her and said “You women get to have the babies. Us men can not do that. Yet you wish to abandon the most important job of all, raising children, and tie yourself to a desk as a slave for 45 years like us men? You women are crazy.”

Her face fell like a stone. She said “I never thought about it like that” to which I responded “few women do”. She is now wanting to have children and leave work but can’t afford to. They are “used to the money”.

She is also opening up a foundation in India to promote the idea that feminism is social poison. She has seen what it has done in the UK and she can see it is happening in India. I am so pleased she will do this. We are great friends.

My mum told me every day in every way that she had the best job in the world. Raising her three boys. Do any women realise what message it sends to your children to put them into ‘someone elses care so you can have your glorious career’? It tells the kids they are not as important to you as your job. But women seem not to know this is the message the children are getting.

Ok so in case you aren’t aware, women are people too, not only mothers or love interests for egoistical jerks like you. And about the “message” that evil independant women are sending to their poor children, you can say the exact same thing about men (you know, fathers). Please don’t raise children, I rather prefer you to not teach those dumb ideas to anyone.

Wow, your logic hurt my brain. I can’t even seem to follow your thoughts. The worst part of it that you actually are serious. I really hope that you are old. Born in the 1940’s or something. It scares me that men of today’s society would think this way. Anyhow, I, as a logic being, will try to respond to your comment. However, the thing that comes to mind right now is the saying “Don’t ever try to argue with someone who’s stupid, they’ll bring you down to their level and then beat you with experience”. But oh well, I’ll take my chances.

First of all, being equal to men is not only about work. It’s about to be seen upon as an actual human being with intelligens that are no less than that of a man. Why you ask? I’ll answer that with another question: would you like to be constantly looked down upon? And a career is not something I’d put in the same sentence as the words “clerk, butcher, road worker etc” so why even mention those kinds of jobs when a girl said that she wanted a career? It’s obvious to me that she was talking about something different than having a low wage job.

Second of all, (and here’s where your logic really is starting to scare me): women are the only ones that are able to BARE children, yes, but are you seriously telling us that you think that women are the only people being able to have and raise children? So men can’t have children? The question “do you have children?” is not something you could ask a man, is that what you’re saying? Men can’t be at home raising children, right? A child is a womans property and if she chooses to work it’s her fault if the kids feel abandoned? The father has nothing at all to do with this?

I.. I don’t even… Should I cry or laugh? Don’t know.

“Do any women realise what message it sends to your children to put them into ‘someone elses care so you can have your glorious career’? It tells the kids they are not as important to you as your job. But women seem not to know this is the message the children are getting.” <— this right here gives me the chills. What you're basicly saying is that fathers are of no importance.

How about this then:

"Do any MEN realise what message it sends to your children to put them into ‘someone elses care so you can have your glorious career’? It tells the kids they are not as important to you as your job. But MEN seem not to know this is the message the children are getting."

Anyone recognize this? The constantly absent father? How many people out there wished that their father would have been there for them during childhood? Yes, kids want their parents around. Their PARENTS, reglardless of gender. Women want to have the same options in life as men, it doesn't matter if it is staying at home taking care of children or being out in the field working. It's the possibility to chose for one self that's important. If the kids are hurting, it's BOTH PARENTS FAULT. However, kids aren't as fragile as you may think. Of course never being home and seing your kids is bad, but that's a whole different story.

Thirdly, it might be wierd for you, as you're obviosly a sexist man, but women have dreams as well. We have dreams in life, that not always happen to be to devote our lives to our children. Some women and men do, and that's fine, but how dare you look down on women who have different dreams? If a man does not dream about taking care of his children, then that's completly fine with you, right? How is it even possible that you don't realize that you're sexist?

Lastly, this might shock you, but women, like men, have great capacity and the possibility to change the world for the better. Next great leader, next great invention, next great person in the world, might be a woman. It might be a woman that finds the cure to cancer. You know, it might be a woman that saves you one day. But people like you, who want to restrict half of the worlds inhabitans, hold us back. Not only the women are getting hold back by this, but the world in it self. There is no doubt, that if women had been allowed to participate in society outside their homes earlier, the world would have been more developed today, because twice the amount of brains would have helped out developing it further. It's therefore not only the loss for all women, but the loss for the world.
No one is saying that children isn't important. But children are not the only reason for women to exist. As it is not the only reason for men to exist. You do well to remember this.

Wow. Why haven’t I ever her of Ching Shih before now? (Sadly, I know very little Chinese history, and yet I still probably know much more than the average American.) They really should make a movie about her. Her story is truly amazing.

[…] instituted one of the strictest pirate codes ever seen before or since), and devoted herself to new ways to get rich on land. Extortion, blackmail and protection rackets all proved healthy, if not entirely honorable, sources […]

[…] instituted one of the strictest pirate codes ever seen before or since), and devoted herself to new ways to get rich on land. Extortion, blackmail and protection rackets all proved healthy, if not entirely honorable, sources […]

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